Metal shutter



L. G. BROWN METAL SHUTTER Sept. 18, 1951 2 Sheet's-Sheet l Filed Sept. 6, 1946 7 f. o 7J/ film o@ e l M f4 m 9 um* o emud/ 6. 5v@ wn l NVENTOR,

ATTORNEY Sept. 18, 1951 Filed Sept. 6, 1946 L. G. BROWN METAL SHUTTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

Lemud/ G. Brown INVENTOR,

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 18, 1951 UNITED d STATES PATENT OFFICE f i 2,568,215 t f fl MErrAL snUrTEn i Iemuai G. Brower oklahnma. city, Okla..

Application september 6,1946, serial 10,695,155

louvers are. sof-spaced vertically that their ad@ jacent horizontal; edges over-lap when they are in closed position Means is provided for pivotally actuating the louvers simultaneously from the inside of the window* opening., Y

- The principal` object of the present invention is to provide a means for preventing the passage or-light-between the louver'frame vand the endsv ofA the louvers, when -the lowers are in theirclosed positions..

ySome present day louver-type awnings have inwardly or downwardly turned end wings, 'which lie perpendicular to the. axes of' thelouvers, and which are provided for the'purpose oi excluding light rays from traveling across; ythe outsider'.

edge` ofi the louver frame'and'beneath'the ends of the louvers, when they are; inclosed or sur stantiallyl closed positions. Such wings are ef;- ficient in accomplishing the purpose fiorV which they are intended, but they do not stop lighty rays from passing through the crack lying loetween the exterior surface of the wings and the;

adjacent surface of the louver frame.

' An object of thev present invention is toolose, this crack, not only against the passage of light rays, but alsofor the purpose ofv catching driving rain and directingl it downwardly on outside. sur-- face of the window frame..

In 'some metal awnings using wing-type overlapping louvers, as above: described, indented pockets. are provided inthe exterior surfaces ofthe inside ends of the wings for nesting the outside endsl of the. wings on the louver next above. The formationy of such pockets causes. aiY separate manufacturing operation, and if` the louvers ever become slightly bent; from their original forni,- the wings are prone; toV bind in the pockets and prevent proper closingrof` the. louvers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a Wingedlouver which requires no pockets for nesting the Wing of the adjacent louver, andi which at the saine time provides space. inv which the above mentioned crackI closing means may operate.

4 claims.. (C1. 18s-62) Other objects: will loey apparent fromA the following description Vwhen taken in vconjunction with the accompanying two sheets of draNv/irxgs' wherein: i v w Y Figure 1 is a perspective ViewY showing the louvers in their fullyopen positions;

FigureY 2` is a fragmentary perspective view looking at the ins-ide of the louvers' which are shown in their fully closed positions; Y l

Figure-3 is an exploded perspective view show-ff ing the separateV parts of theassembly and its. actuating mechanism, and showing only a fragment of one louver ando the louver connecting;

drip strip; Y

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view detail'- ing the relationship' of A certain. parts of the` device;

Figure 5,y is a; fragmentary perspective viewv showing the insideV surface, of the end portion.- of one louver and its perpendicular end wing;

and t r.

Figure 6 is aschematic View show-ing the-outa', side face. of one. lofuver,` and also depic-tingf'its' central portion'i-n vertical' section. l Y

4Litrecharacters of reference designate like; parts in those figures of the drawings in theyoccur. y

In the drawings: l v

The reference,- numeral -Iy indicates, as a whole; aV substantiallyrec-tangular sheet metal louve-nframe; having-vertical, side members 2; al hori-f zon-tal top member 3-rigidly connecting the upper ends of, `the side members, and a. horizon-tal bot-f tom member'd rigidly connecting the lowerends of the side members. The-top memberV 3 has an outwardly extending horizontalv lvisor 5'V which. projects beyondV the outsideedge portions 6 oi" the two sidevmembers 2. The inside or mest inwardly extendinggportionsoi the side members.7 2 are' indicated bythe reference'numeral The portions i are actuallyjlatwflanges which are; adapted to be mounted atly either against the outside face of a usual window frame, orl if a fly-- screen is provided over the window openingothe: flanges 'land the top and bottom members are,` mounted flatly against the outside face of the fly-screen frame. InF-igures: 2' and a the rei'-V erence numeral 8 indicates av vertical side memeber or rail of' a usual fly-screen.. l

l-llntending;horizontallyI across the louver-framef opening, indicated by the reference numeral 9;. there is provided a plurality of' identical lonvers Ico. Eaehlouver is forrnedI oan elongated strip, preferably of sheet metal, slightly arcuate in. cross-section. (Efigure o); and having a crimped'z bead along its inside edge II and a similar bead along its outside edge I2, when the louvers are in open position (Figure 1). When the louvers are in their closed positions (Figure 2), the inside edge II becomes the upper edge and the edge I2 becomes the lower edge, as Will be more fully described hereinbelow. Therefore, in the present specification and in the appended claims, when referring `to an edge of a louver, the words "inside and upper are synonymous, and the words outside and lower refer to the identical other edge.

The two ends of each louver are not parallel with each other, the inside or upper edge I I being shorter than the outside or lower edge I2 (Figure 6). Lying substantially at right angles or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of each louver, and at each end of the louver, there is provided a wing I3. The wings I3 are preferably formed integral with their louver, and project downwardly when the louvers are open (Figure 1) and inwardly when the louvers are closed (Figure 2). The wings I3 preferably extend across the full width of the louver, and intermediate their ends, each wing is provided with a self-formed semispherical wart" or boss I4 which projects from the exterior surface thereof (Figures 4, 5 and 6), and each of which has a central perforation I5.

The outer flanges 6 of the side members 2 are spaced perforated to receive rivet-type pivot pins I6, which pass through the perforations I5 in the wings I3, and which act to pivotally mount the louvers in the frame I in position to span the louver-frame opening 9. Surrounding each of the pins I6, the flange 6 is provided with a semispherical wart or boss I1 which abuts one of the bosses I4 so as to provide a reduced area of frictional contact therewith. The free edge portion of each of the wings I3 is preferably provided with a self -formed reinforcing rib I8.

The pins I6 are so spaced vertically in the flanges 6, that when the louvers I0 are pivotally turned to their closed positions as shown in Figure 2, the lower edge I2 of one louver overlaps the upper edge II of the next louver sub-jacent thereto.

The fact that the upper edge II of one louver is slightly shorter than the lower edge I2 of the louver next above, makes it possible for the upper edge II of the lower louver to pass between the lower ends of the wings I3 on the next louver thereabove, when the louvers are being rotated into their closed positions. This eliminates the necessity for any pockets in the wings.

As a means for selectively rotating or swingably pivoting the louvers I0 simultaneously, the following described mechanism is provided.

Referring more particularly to Figures 2 and 3, the left hand edge portion of the ily screen rail 8 is embraced by the adjacent faces of two plates and 2I which together form a bracket 22. The plate 20 contacts the inside face of the rail 8, and is held rigidly in place by screws 23. To the left hand edge of the rail 8 is attached by a screw 24 the lower end of a brace or bearing bracket number 25 having a loop 26 at its upper end. The plate 2I is positioned along the outside face of the screen rail 8, and the two plates are alignedly perforated as shown at 21 so that they, and the loop 26, may receive the horizontal shank portion 28 of a rotatable actuating handle or crank 29. As illustrated in the drawings, the loop 26 may be selectively tightened around the shank portion 28 of the handle 29. A bolt 50 is provided for this purpose.

The end portion of the shank is pro-l 4 vided with threads 30, and adjacent thereto its sides are flattened as indicated by the numeral 3 I. The flattened portion 3I is adapted to be inserted snugly within a straight sided slot 32 in one end of an arm 33. A lock-washer 34 and nut 35 are installed upon the threaded end of the shank 28 to hold the handle and its associated parts in assembled relation whereby the shank and arm may be selectively rotated by operation of the handle.

As a means for opening and closing the louvers simultaneously by selective movement of the is therefore believed that structure has been dis# handle 29, each wing I3 of all of the louvers I0 have their upper inside corner portions through perforated as indicated at 36. A combination drip-rail and actuating bar 31, formed of angle iron, has one of its flanges 38 extending vertically along the exterior surfaces of said wings I3, and its other flange 39 envelops the inside edges of the wings I3. Surrounding each of the perforations 36 the wings are provided with self-formed warts 40. The flange 38 of the actuating bar 31 is provided with vertically spaced through perforations 4I and these perforations, and the perforatlons 36, each complementally receive a pivot pin 42. 'I'he arrangement is such that vertical reciprocation of the bar 31 causes pivotal movement of the louvers. One of the bars 31 is provided along both ends of the louvers, and therefore, should one of the bars be moved vertically, the other one also moves simultaneously.

The bars 31 are each so located with relation to the adjacent flange 6 of the side member 2, that it bridges the crack between the flange 6 and the wings I3. This crack is caused by the above described provision of the two bearing bumps or warts I4 and I1, and also by the fact that the ends of the louvers are not parallel. Although the flange 38 of the bar 31 is also provided with a bearing bump for contacting each of the warts 4I) of the wings I3, the flange 39 of the bar lies behind the crack thus formed, and bridges the same to exclude light rays, and to prevent ingress of driving rain. 'Ihe outside face of the flange' 39 catches such rain and causes it to gravitate downwardly to drip upon the upper surface of the outwardly and downwardly sloping portion 43 of the bottom member 4 of the louver frame I.

As a means for selectively reciprocating one of the bars 31 vertically to actuate the louvers I0, the flange 39 is provided with a through perforation 44 (Figure 3), and a pivot pin 45 acts to pivotally connect the upper end of a link 46y to said flange. The lower end of the link 46 is pivotally connected by a pivot pin 41 to the swinging end of the arm 33. The handle 29, shank portion 28, and the arm 33 act as a crank for operating the link 46 and bar 31.

The pivotal connection between the arm 33 and the link 46 is so arranged that when the louvers are closed, the pivot lpin 41 lies slightly beyond dead center, so that the louvers are effectually locked in their closed positions. The free end of the bracket plate 2I has an outwardly turned flange 48 which acts as a stop for the swinging end of the arm 33.

As stated hereinabove, the bars 31 act as means? for causing simultaneous movement of the' that by tapering or bevelling the ends of the louvers, no pockets are required in the Wings 'I3` in order that they may nest with each other. It

closed which will accomplish all of the objects and purposes for which it is intended.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its prac ticability, and I therefore do not wish to be con ned to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In shutter construction, 'the combination with a rigid frame having a central opening with vertical side members; aplurality of vertically spaced substantially straight horizontal louvers extending across said opening between said side members, of: a substantially straight wing at each end of each louver extending laterally thereof, and lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the face thereof, the wings of each louver converging toward one louver edge; and means pivotally mounting the wings on similar ends of said louvers to a frame side member in such relation that the wings of one louver overlap those of the next adjacent louver, when the louvers are in closed positions.

2. In shutter construction, the combination with a rigid frame having a central opening with vertical side members; a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal louvers extending across said opening between said side members, of: a substantially straight wing at each end of each louver extending laterally thereof, and lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the face thereof, the wings of each louver converging toward one louver edge; means pivotally mounting the wings on similar ends of said louvers to a frame side member in such relation that the wings of one louver overlap those of the next adjacent louver, and in such relation that spaces occur between the side members and the wings; and a vertical L-shaped strip pivotally connected to the similar wings of said louvers for causing their simultaneous pivotal movement in the z frame, one ange of said strip disposed to lie in said spaces, and the other iiange bridging said spaces laterally when the louvers are in closed positions.

3. In shutter construction, wherein a substantially rectangular frame opening is spanned by a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally disposed louvers, said louvers being pivotally mounted in the frame on horizontal axes, so that the outer horizontal edges thereof may be swung downwardly into overlapping relation with the inner edges of the next subjacent louver: a substantially straight wing at each end of each louver and lying substantially perpendicular to the louver face, the two wings of each louver converging toward one longitudinal edge thereof.

4. In shutter construction, wherein a substantially rectangular frame opening is spanned by a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally disposed louvers, said louvers being pivotally mounted in the frame on horizontal axes, so that the outer horizontal edges thereof may be swung downwardly into overlapping relation with the inner edges of the next sub-jacent louver, a louver construction including: a strip having a trapezoidal face; a straight wing extending across each end of said strip, and lying substantially perpendicular to said face.

LEMUAL G. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Huff Dec. 6, 1949 

